Went to a Journal of Law and Technology (JOLT) open house last night to listen to the opening notes of the big firm siren song. All the presenters seemed enthusiastic about the intellectual challenge, the interaction with innovators, the constantly changing knowledge base. I want those things! And I want to trust these people.
But I'm pretty sure I shouldn't.
I talked to ambimb at the beginning of the year and told him that my biggest fear about law school was that I'd be socialized by the big corporate environment and wind up wasting my life working 80 hours a week in a job I hated, just because someone threw six figures at me and i couldn't find something I really wanted to wake up and do every day.
The problem is, as much as Seth loves it public defending, or any other criminal work, doesn't feel like me. What if the kinds of things I want to do are the exclusive province of Soul Grinding Legal Factory, LLP?
2 comments:
Look, I think the key is doing something that you love. If you love transactional work, if that appeals to you, do it! If you want to be a corporate litigator, do that. If you want to public interest or government or if you want to be a basket weaver (and can pay off your loans), do it.
The key, I think, is not letting the money convince you do something you don't want to do. But there is nothing inherently WRONG with working for a big firm. It's only wrong if you are doing it for the wrong reasons, i.e., the golden handcuffs.
"In this week's extended forecast, look for early morning low clouds and fog, burning off by mid-afternoon for highs in the low seventies. It's gonna be nice, Bob. Back to you."
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